Floatovoltaics: The Rise of Floating Solar Farms
- Sarah Lozanova
- Feb 9
- 12 min read
If solar energy use is to grow significantly, covering many rooftops and land plots with photovoltaic (PV) modules will be essential. While rooftops are often ideal, not all are suitable, and vacant land in urban areas can be scarce and expensive. One innovative solution is to tap into the vast areas of water covering the Earth through floatovoltaics.
As a result, floating solar systems are gaining popularity for utility and commercial applications. But are they the next big thing in clean energy, or are they too expensive? Let’s dive into this technology to understand its potential and the role of specialized floating solar solutions.
What Are Floatovoltaics?
Floating photovoltaics (FPV) involve solar modules that float on water bodies like lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. These PV panels are elevated above the water’s surface, typically mounted on a floating solar structure made of durable, buoyant materials like HDPE. Because land is often limited or costly, floating solar farms are becoming common in densely populated regions and can incorporate dual-use applications.
These projects are frequently found on hydroelectric reservoirs and wastewater treatment ponds—disturbed sites where existing infrastructure simplifies floating solar installation. Key components of a successful build include:
Floating Solar Racking: Specialized frames designed to withstand moisture and environmental stress.
Floating Solar PV Engineering: Advanced modeling to account for wave action and mooring stability.
Floating Solar Projects: Collaborative efforts between developers and a floatovoltaic contractor to ensure long-term durability.
Some developers are even exploring floating offshore solar mounted at sea. Since oceans cover 70% of the Earth, the potential for the floating solar panel market is vast, though open seas present unique challenges for floating solar PV system integrity.
Potential Benefits Of Floatovoltaics
Locating utility-scale renewable energy projects near population centers is ideal, but available land in urban areas is often scarce and expensive. In rural farming communities, there is concern that converting farmland into utility-scale solar farms could impact food security. However, floating solar, or floatovoltaics, offers a solution by taking up little or no land space and utilizing areas with minimal other development potential.
One significant benefit of floating solar farms is their ability to naturally cool the solar panels. Solar panel efficiency typically drops when temperatures rise above 77°F, with most panels having a temperature coefficient of -0.3%°C to -0.5%°C.
This means the hotter the panel, the less efficient it becomes, reducing overall solar power output. However, mounting solar PV panels above water helps cool them, boosting their efficiency and increasing energy production. Also, using bifacial solar panels on floating solar farms allows the panels to generate power from both sides, capturing light that reflects off the water’s surface.
Another advantage of floatovoltaics is their ability to help shade the body of water, reducing freshwater evaporation. This can be particularly beneficial in dry climates or during droughts. A 2021 study found that covering 4,000 miles of California canal with solar canopies could conserve 65 billion gallons of water annually by preventing evaporation. California, therefore, holds immense photovoltaic potential.
Installing floating solar farms at hydroelectric dam reservoirs also provides the advantage of utilizing existing utility infrastructure, which can significantly lower development costs. Furthermore, solar engineers are exploring combining offshore wind farms and floating solar farms, allowing them to share the same transmission infrastructure. For instance, a 5-megawatt floating solar project is planned for the North Sea near the Netherlands, with operations slated to begin in 2026.
Current Roadblocks For Floating Solar Farms
While floating solar technology offers numerous benefits, several challenges remain. A primary concern for floating solar farms in saltwater or coastal environments is the accumulation of salt residue. Salt spray can create a layer on modules that acts as both a physical barrier to light and a heating agent, potentially reducing power output by 6% to 15%.
Manufacturers are addressing this by seeking IEC 61701 certification, which ensures that panels can withstand high-salinity environments through specialized coatings and corrosion-resistant frames.
Engineering and Financial Complexities
Because floating solar projects are a specialized niche, they often require a 50% to 100% CAPEX premium compared to traditional ground-mounted arrays. This is driven by the need for advanced hardware and technical expertise:
Specialized Racking: Unlike standard systems, floating solar racking must be modular, UV-stabilized, and capable of withstanding constant mechanical stress from waves.
Anchoring and Mooring: Securely tethering an array requires sophisticated floating solar PV engineering. Systems must account for extreme wind gusts and significant water level variations—sometimes up to 30 meters in hydroelectric dams—using elastic mooring lines or heavy gravity anchors.
Permitting Hurdles: As of 2026, many regions still lack standardized regulatory frameworks for floatovoltaics, which can lead to longer timelines for floating solar installation and higher development costs.
Environmental and Ecological Considerations
The potential environmental impact of floating solar power plants is a subject of ongoing research. While these systems reduce water evaporation and curb algae blooms, they can also alter aquatic ecosystems:
Light and Temperature: Large-scale floating solar arrays shade the water's surface, which can decrease dissolved oxygen levels and affect the photosynthesis of aquatic plants.
Stratification: Studies suggest that covering more than 70% of a water body can disrupt natural water stratification, potentially harming fish populations.
Mitigation Strategies: Developers are increasingly using AI-driven monitoring and artificial aerators to maintain water quality and ensure floating solar solutions remain ecologically responsible.
NEC Guidelines for Floatovoltaics
The 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC) establishes critical safety standards for all energy installations, with specific updates tailored for floating solar farms. Because floatovoltaics operate in dynamic aquatic environments, they must meet stringent requirements to ensure long-term durability and technician safety. Key considerations for any floating solar PV system include:
Grounding and Bonding (NEC 690.4G & NEC 683)
Proper grounding is essential to mitigate electrical hazards in a floating solar installation. These systems require specialized techniques to prevent stray currents and shock risks across the water's surface. NEC 690.43 mandates that all metallic module frames and floating solar racking be bonded to maintain electrical continuity, even as the array moves.
Wet Location Requirements (NEC 682 & NEC 690.31)
Under NEC 682, floating solar projects are classified as "wet locations," requiring corrosion-resistant, marine-grade components. A significant update in the 2023/2026 code, NEC 690.4(G), explicitly addresses floatovoltaics, requiring wiring methods that account for the "expected movement" of the equipment due to waves or water level changes.
Wiring Methods & Insulation (NEC 310 & NEC 690.31)
Conductors in a floating solar pv system must be suitable for continuous exposure to humidity and UV stress. NEC 310 mandates water-resistant conductors like THWN-2 or XHHW-2, while Type PV Wire is typically required for exposed source circuits. These floating solar solutions prevent insulation degradation that could lead to ground faults in the reservoir.
Overcurrent Protection & Disconnects (NEC 705.20 & NEC 240)
Floating solar power plants require robust protection to reduce the risk of short circuits near water. The 2026 NEC now directs developers to Section 705.20 for standardized disconnecting means across all power production sources. This ensures that a floatovoltaic contractor can safely isolate the array for maintenance or emergency response.
Maintenance & Safety Access (NEC 690.12)
To protect first responders, floatovoltaics must include rapid shutdown capabilities that reduce array voltage to safe levels within 30 seconds. Furthermore, floating solar engineering must provide adequate "working space" and safety labeling (NEC 110.26) to ensure that technicians can navigate the floating platforms safely during inspections.
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What are the Pros and Cons of Floatovoltaics?
The rise of floating solar farms presents both opportunities and challenges for renewable energy expansion. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of floatovoltaics:
Pros of Floatovoltaics
✅ Land Preservation: Generates clean electricity without occupying valuable agricultural or residential land.
✅ Optimized Efficiency: The natural water cooling effect lowers the operating temperature of modules, significantly boosting solar panel efficiency compared to hot rooftop installations.
✅ Resource Conservation: Reduces water evaporation in reservoirs by up to 70%, which is a critical benefit for drought-prone regions using floating solar panels on reservoirs.
✅ Improved Water Quality: Shading from the floating solar structure prevents harmful algal blooms and can help control evaporation-induced salinity.
✅ Existing Infrastructure: Many floating solar projects are built on hydroelectric or wastewater ponds, allowing developers to utilize existing grid connections.
✅ Synergistic Power: Large-scale floating solar farms can work in tandem with hydropower, providing power during the day while the dam conserves water for nighttime generation.
Cons of Floatovoltaics
⚠️ Higher CAPEX: Initial floating solar installation costs are typically higher due to specialized floating solar racking and marine-grade buoyancy modules.
⚠️ Harsh Environments: Constant wave action and wind loads require advanced floating solar PV engineering and robust mooring systems to prevent equipment fatigue.
⚠️ Saltwater Corrosion: In offshore or coastal areas, salt accumulation can damage components, requiring a floatovoltaic contractor to select high-corrosion-resistant (IEC 61701 certified) materials.
⚠️ Ecological Uncertainty: Shading the water surface can alter aquatic oxygen levels and stratification, potentially impacting sensitive fish and plant populations.
⚠️ Complex Maintenance: Servicing a floating solar PV system is more labor-intensive than land-based sites, often requiring boats and specialized safety equipment.
⚠️ Permitting Hurdles: Navigating solar permitting for water bodies can be time-consuming, as many jurisdictions are still catching up with floating solar technology standards.
What Floatovoltaic Projects Exist Today?
As of early 2026, floating solar farms have transitioned from experimental pilots to massive utility-scale assets. Governments are increasingly turning to floatovoltaics to meet net-zero targets without sacrificing land. Here are the major projects defining the industry today:
China: The Global Leader in Offshore Solar
China continues to dominate the market with the world's most ambitious floating solar projects.
Dingzhuang Solar Farm: This 320 MW system remains a benchmark for hybrid energy, combining wind, solar, and battery storage.
Tianwan Offshore PV: As of February 2026, the Tianwan project has made headlines as one of the largest offshore solar hubs ever launched, linked by a record-breaking 19.45-kilometer high-voltage line.
Dongying Open-Sea Project: Completed in late 2025, this 1 GW facility in the Bohai Sea uses over 2.3 million n-type solar panels and is expected to power over 2.6 million people.
Taiwan
One of the world’s most technically advanced floating solar projects is located in the Changbin Industrial Zone, now boasting a total installed capacity of 440 MWp. This massive floatovoltaics development, expanded in 2024 and 2025 by HEXA Renewables and Ciel & Terre Taiwan, builds upon an initial 2020 installation to generate enough clean electricity for approximately 74,000 households.
South Korea: The Saemangeum Giant
The Saemangeum floating solar farm is a monumental 2.1 GW undertaking. Phase 1 (1.2 GW) is currently a primary focus for South Korea's renewable energy strategy. Located behind the Saemangeum Seawall, this project serves as a "Sunlight Pension" model, where local residents invest and receive regular income from the clean energy generated.
India: The Omkareshwar Achievement
India's 600 MW Omkareshwar floating solar panel farm on the Narmada River reached a major milestone in late 2024 and 2025. Developed by RUMSL, it is one of the world's largest installations on a reservoir. This floating solar system provides a blueprint for how floating solar engineering can overcome extreme weather and fluctuating water levels in river-based environments.
North America
The largest floating solar farm in North America is the NJR Clean Energy Ventures (CEV) floating solar project in Millburn, New Jersey. With a capacity of 8.9 MW, it features 16,510 floating solar panels installed on a reservoir at the New Jersey American Water Canoe Brook Water Treatment Plant. This project highlights the benefits of floatovoltaics, including reduced water evaporation, water protection, and environmental sustainability.
Europe
Portugal’s Alqueva floating solar farm is the largest in Europe, with nearly 12,000 floating solar panels covering an area equivalent to four football fields. With a 70 MW capacity, this floatovoltaic system is part of a larger hybrid farm expected to reach 154 MW in total capacity, contributing to Portugal’s clean energy transition.
Also, SolarDuck, a Dutch-Norwegian floating solar company, is developing a 500 kW offshore pilot project in the North Sea. This initiative will test the feasibility of offshore floating solar panels, demonstrating how floatovoltaics can complement offshore wind farms and expand renewable energy production.
Floating Solar Panel Costs
The cost of floating solar farms generally carries a 10% to 25% premium over traditional ground-mounted arrays, primarily due to specialized hardware like floating solar racking and marine-grade anchoring. In 2026, total installed costs typically range between $0.95 and $1.30 per watt, though these expenses are often offset by the eliminated need for land acquisition and the 5-15% increase in efficiency from the water's cooling effect.
Large-scale economics vary significantly by region and engineering complexity; for example, the massive Saemangeum floatovoltaics project is estimated at $3.82 billion, while India’s 600 MW Omkareshwar project utilized a budget of approximately $350 million (₹3,000+ crore) for its innovative reservoir-based design. Experimental floating offshore solar pilots, like those in the North Sea, remain more expensive per megawatt as the industry refines floating solar technology to withstand extreme maritime conditions.
What Research Is Needed to Advance Floatovoltaics?
Advancing floating solar technology requires deeper research into hydrodynamic modeling to understand how varying wave frequencies and high wind speeds affect panel orientation and mechanical fatigue. In 2026, researchers are prioritizing the development of self-healing, anti-corrosive coatings for floating solar panels and smart, AI-driven mooring systems that can autonomously adjust tension in real-time.
Also, focus is shifting toward Blue Economy sustainability, studying the long-term solar farm environmental impact on water stratification and dissolved oxygen levels. Future floating solar solutions will likely integrate bio-receptive materials into the floating solar structure to encourage rather than disrupt local aquatic biodiversity.
What Companies Specialize in Floatovoltaics?
The floatovoltaics market is led by a mix of specialized engineering firms and global energy giants. These companies provide essential floating solar solutions for diverse aquatic environments, from calm reservoirs to turbulent open seas.
Ciel & Terre remains a dominant force, recently launching their "WattRack" system. This innovative floating solar racking solution:
Maximizes Density: Removes traditional walkways to pack up to 2.2 MW per hectare.
Optimizes O&M: Utilizes a specialized motorized maintenance trolley to service panels without internal alleys.
30-Year Durability: Engineered with UV-stabilized HDPE and rail-based structures for long-term floating solar PV system reliability.
In the United States, D3Energy is a leader in floating solar installation.
Ohio’s Largest Array: They recently launched construction on a landmark 6 MW project in Monroeville, Ohio, set for completion in early 2026.
Conservation Strategy: This project preserves over 30 acres of land by utilizing a municipal reservoir, proving the viability of floating solar panels on reservoirs for rural communities.
For the offshore sector, Dutch-Norwegian firm SolarDuck is pioneering high-sea floating offshore solar.
The "Merganser" Pilot: This 0.5 MW demonstrator in the North Sea uses a triangular, semi-submersible platform that follows waves "like a carpet."
Extreme Resilience: The system is certified to withstand 50-year storm conditions with waves reaching 13.5 meters, setting a new standard for floating solar technology in maritime environments.
Known for their patented hydroelastic membranes, Ocean Sun offers a unique design where thin-film or rigid modules rest directly on a flexible polymer mat.
Enhanced Cooling: Direct contact with the water surface provides the industry's best thermal management, further boosting solar panel efficiency.
Certified Safety: They recently received the world’s first Type Certificate for a floating solar technology from Bureau Veritas, making their arrays highly bankable for large-scale coastal projects.
Floatovoltaics: Solar Installations Of The Future?
Although floating solar panels are promising in certain areas, they are not ideal for all locations. This application is most appealing in areas where land is scarce, and existing transmission infrastructure is in place. Often, the most attractive sites are reservoirs at hydroelectric dams, but some solar developers are examining ocean-based applications at offshore wind farms and tidal flats.
Although many floating solar projects have been completed, more research is needed to advance this approach. For example, research is needed to understand the ecological impacts of floatovotaics or the best way to anchor them.
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FAQs on Floating Solar Systems
What are floatovoltaics and how do they function?
Floatovoltaics refer to innovative solar energy systems where photovoltaic modules are sited on water bodies rather than land. These floating solar farms consist of standard panels fixed to a buoyant floating PV mounting system that is secured by specialized underwater or shore-based anchors.
What are the primary advantages of floating solar power plants?
One of the greatest advantages of floating solar power plants is the ability to generate massive amounts of clean energy without occupying valuable real estate. Furthermore, the natural cooling effect of the water helps lower panel temperatures, which increases the overall efficiency of floating solar arrays by up to 15 percent compared to land-based systems.
How do floating solar panels work in aquatic environments?
If you are wondering how floating solar panels work, they operate much like traditional arrays but utilize moisture-resistant components and flexible cabling. The energy captured by water floating solar panels is converted into AC power via inverters and transmitted through marine-grade underwater cables to the local electrical grid.
Why is floating solar technology becoming popular for reservoirs?
Deploying floating solar panels on reservoirs is a strategic solution for water conservation because the physical shade reduces evaporation and prevents toxic algal blooms. This floating solar technology allows utilities to dual-purpose their existing water infrastructure for renewable energy production while simultaneously protecting the local water supply.
What is involved in a professional floating solar installation?
A successful floating solar installation requires a modular design that can rise and fall with fluctuating water levels. Installers must carefully assemble the floating solar racking onshore before towing the completed sections into position on the water for final anchoring and electrical connection.
Why is specialized floating solar PV engineering necessary?
Rigorous floating solar PV engineering is essential to ensure the array can withstand environmental stressors like high wind speeds, wave action, and corrosion. Engineers must perform detailed bathymetric surveys to design a floating pv layout that remains stable and safe over its 25-year operational lifespan.
What defines a high-quality floating PV mounting system?
A durable floating PV mounting system is typically constructed from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) that is UV-stabilized and resistant to degradation. This floating solar racking must provide a stable platform for the floating solar PV modules while allowing for enough movement to prevent structural fatigue during storms.
Are floating solar farms more expensive than traditional projects?
While a floating solar farm often has higher initial costs due to specialized marine hardware, the higher energy yield and lack of land-use fees offer long-term financial benefits. As floatovoltaic technology continues to mature, standardized designs are significantly reducing the total cost of a floating solar power plant for global developers.